Software applications often require the use of resources, such as operating system files, files shared with other applications, hardware devices, etc. The location of these files and devices may vary from system to system and, as a result, installation programs for software often determine and store settings indicating the locations of the resources at the time of installation. Installation programs may also save other settings.
These settings are often kept in restricted-access data stores maintained by an operating system. To add or modify settings in these areas often requires elevated or administrative security rights. Performing normal operations with elevated or administrative rights may lead to security risks, including increased exposure to viruses, Trojan horses, and other malicious software. As a result, some organizations do not provide users with elevated or administrative rights. It may be necessary for a user to either log in with elevated security rights or to have an administrator log in to enable the software installation to complete.